China urges against ‘weaponizing’ trade after Trump threatens Spain

China on Wednesday urged countries not to "weaponize" trade after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut all trade with Spain.

Trump's remarks came after he criticized Madrid for what he called insufficient cooperation on US military bases amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

"The US-Israeli military actions against Iran violate international laws, and trade should not be instrumentalized or weaponized," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing, according to state media.

The Spanish government rejected Trump's criticism, saying Spain is a key member of NATO that fulfills its commitments and contributes significantly to European territorial defense.

Madrid said Monday that the United States has neither used nor intends to use Spanish military bases to carry out attacks against Iran.

The United States and Israel have continued airstrikes on Iran that began last Saturday, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and 786 others, including schoolgirls, according to reports.

Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities. Six US service members have been killed and many others injured.